Once A Stranger, Now A Saviour - OCxKate
by LeGirlGamerHere
Summary: Theo Jones didn't ask to be sucked into Blackwell Academy's Vortex Club. He didn't ask to be sucked into the whirlpool of life changing events that took place in Arcadia Bay. And he most certainly didn't ask to end up having to save the girl he's had a massive crush on, Kate Marsh. - MOST LIS CHARACTERS INCLUDED.
1. Prologue

Prologue.

"What exactly do you see in her, man?" Sam said to me in disgust. "She's a such a slut. You _know_ about the porno being spread across the school!"

Caleb shook his head in disappointment, telling me, "Kate Marsh is fucking disgusting."

"She's a fucking skank."

"Slut."

"Whore."

Their words echoed in my head, but none of it meant a thing to me.

"She's beautiful," I said to them, the words slipping out the way a professional ice skater gracefully danced across an ice rink.

Caleb and Sam looked at me in confusion, appalled by the fact that I was defending the girl I loved. "You're calling a hoe beautiful?" Caleb spat at me.

"There are so many other girls here in Blackwell," Sam started, "much _hotter_ girls at that, and you pick _Kate fucking Marsh_? _"_

They continued to bitch and moan about my taste in women, but their words were merely muffled and cloudy in my ears.

And then, I saw her.

Walking out of the school's main building, clutching her bag tightly as she walked in careful and calculated steps.

She looked around in paranoia, looking my way for a split second. I could see the bags under her eyes because of the stress and rumors being thrown around about her.

Kate knew she was being watched.

I just wish she knew that not everyone was against her.

That there was someone who loved her for who she was.

And that they'd be there for her till the end.

Too bad she didn't know I existed.


	2. 1

**1.**

I didn't ask for this.

I didn't ask for Nathan Prescott's usual bullshit about having good reputations in school and whatnot; let's be clear, I fucking hate Nathan Prescott. He's a bully, a pussy who hides behind the people he uses as a shield, and to be perfectly honest, I couldn't give two shits about what he has to offer me or say. People like him are so full of shit, it actually disgusts me.

As the name suggests, the Vortex Club quite literally, sucked me in. Honest to God, I had no interest in people like Nathan Prescott and Victoria Chase (and she just _had_ to be named after one of my favorite PJO characters, didn't she?). I shit you not, there is so much fucking drama, I'm done. I've had it.

Rachel Amber was probably one of the only nice ones in the Vortex Club; oh, her and Dana Ward.

It's too bad shit always has to happen to the nice people in Blackwell.

First, Dana's pregnancy rumors; I wonder if they were true after all. Logan and her were never really official, but it's still surprising to hear about.

Then, Rachel Amber. She vanished into thin air; Rachel was talking to me about Price one day, then she was gone the next.

I still wonder about Price; ever since she got expelled from Blackwell, I never really heard much from her or about her since Rachel's disappearance. It came as no surprise to me that she wanted to run off with her, like it was some kind of Romeo and Juliet romance of sorts.

The sound of Stressed Out by t _wenty øne piløts_ gradually started to increase in volume because of the alarm on my phone. I rolled over in my bed, groaning tiredly. "Fuck off," I muttered, nearly knocking my phone over as I turned it off.

I tried to rub the sleep out of my eyes and looked at my messy room. "Hit the showers, Jones," I groaned to myself as I crawled out of my bed tiredly, stuffing my feet into a pair of sandals and reaching for my towel, throwing it over my shoulder. I quickly grabbed the nearest shirt and pulled it over my head, putting it on temporarily, also grabbing a pair of jeans to put on later, seeing that I was just in my boxers. I got my shower bucket and headed out, ignoring the early morning hollers coming from the boys' dorm.

"Aww, someone's looking sleepy!" Sam hooted as he trotted over to me, punching my shoulder lightly. His pale and skinny frame reminded me of a paper doll, one that just wouldn't leave me alone. Sam had these really faded grey eyes, the kind of grey that you see on the stones that lined the grass in Blackwell.

I punched his face without any hesitation.

Sam flew backwards, landing onto the floor. Caleb saw what had happened and came up to me, blocking Sam and me from starting a fight so early in the morning. "Bro, what the fuck?" Caleb asked me, helping Sam up. "Fights this early in the morning?"

"Tell him to fuck off and stop acting like a kid first, then we'll see," I snapped at him, storming off into the showers.

As you could already tell, my mood swings were part of the reason why Sam and Caleb were the only ones who stuck by me.

I wasn't the kind of person who believed in 'kindness,' this was a cruel world we lived in. Survival of the fittest and whatnot.

As soon as I got in, I stripped off my clothes and turned the shower on, letting the cold water rush past my body. I wasn't exactly considered muscular, but I wouldn't be categorized as scrawny, either. More like healthy and fit enough to be considered lean. I breathed out, seeing that I needed to be properly woken up before class started in the next couple of hours. I scrubbed my body with the soap, the smell of my body wash wafting into my nose.

I wrapped a towel around my waist once I'd stopped the flow of water in my stall, stepping out of the shower and pushing aside the shower curtain. I pulled my shirt over my head and put on another pair of boxers under the towel, stuffing my legs into my jeans and brushing my teeth quickly.

I looked up at the mirror briefly, the reflection of my dark brown eyes looking back at my own along with my tanned skin. Small nose, small lips; generally speaking I was small, but I could still pack one hell of a punch. I spat the toothpaste out into the sink and rinsed my mouth, proceeding to walk back to my room with the sandals.

"Surprise, bitch!" I heard Sam and Caleb say to me as soon as I opened the bathroom door. They were kneeling, reaching for my towel and sharply pulling down once they got ahold of it.

The towel fell at my feet, but seeing that my jeans were already on, that defeated the purpose of what they were trying to do. I snatched it off of the ground and reached up for my head, drying my dark short cropped hair, which was still dripping a little from the shower.

I stared at them, deadpanning, "And this is why people wonder why I consider you idiots my friends."

They both gave me sheepish smiles once I started to walk back to my dorm room.

"Jones!" A nasally voice called out once I'd reached my room door. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, forcing myself to be patient with the Weasel himself, Nathan Prescott. "Wait up."

I rested my arm against the door frame, letting myself hang loose as I let my body weight press against the wood. "What do you want, Prescott?" I snapped at him, mainly to get away from him. Even though I hated him for how much of a pussy he was, I was aware of the things he was capable of. Little rich kid pussy could bribe his way out of anything for all I cared.

He still wore that same signature varsity jacket of his, almost gloating about his so-called achievements in life like, oh I don't know, being a total snitch and rat? Nathan's mud-like hair was slicked back, with that single curly strand of hair hanging over his forehead. One feature that pissed me off about him was his long nose; I always imagined him strutting around Blackwell as he stuck his nose in the air, purely just for show.

Nathan gave me a smug smile - oh, I was _so_ tempted to punch him; too bad his stupid parents owned everything in Arcadia Bay, including Blackwell - and said to me, "I just have two questions for you, that's all."

There was always something in his voice that unnerved me each time he spoke. Like he was always threatening you, even when he wasn't. Not like his voice was anywhere near deep, anyway. Nathan sounded like a grade schooler.

"First," Nathan said, pulling me away from my thoughts, "were you at the party?"

I blinked at him and deadpanned, "You have too many parties for me to count, so take that as a no, Prescott."

"Hear me out, _Theodore,"_ I cringed hearing him say my name, only my grandparents called me that. "Second, have you seen the sex tape?"

My eyes widened at him, my body sliding down a little bit in shock, so I had to re-adjust myself. "What sex tape?" I asked him, horrified that he would even talk about something like this on school grounds.

Nathan's smirk grew even wider when he replied, "I'm well aware that you care for Kate Marsh a lot more than you should, Jones, but that's none of my business. Just thought you should know."

I held on to the door frame tightly, my grip only becoming firmer because of my anger towards him. I could already feel my body temperature rising.

 _How the hell did he find out? More importantly.. Who the fuck told him?_

"Yeah right, ' _just thought you should know',_ you little-" I told him through clenched teeth. "You fucking set her up, didn't you?" I added in a low voice.

Nathan gave me an innocent smile as he held his hands up, slowly walking backwards towards his own dorm room, "I don't know what you're talking about, _Jonesy_!" He let out a cruel laugh and started jogging in the opposite direction.

I kicked my door open and threw the shower bucket aside, tossing the towel over my shoulder as I sat on my bed, holding my head in my hands. "Kate, what've you gotten yourself into?" I whispered to myself, my eyes closed in worry.

Nathan Prescott knew that I was in love with Kate Marsh.

Nathan Prescott knew my biggest secret, and I was wrapped around his finger because of it.

* * *

 _A/N: Dun, dun, DUUUUUUN. HE KNOWS._

 _Hope you guys liked this chapter! Sorry it took so long to update, but yeah :P_

 _What do you guys think of Theo? Or his friends?_

 _What do you think's gonna happen next? Comment your thoughts below if you'd like, as always a vote would be much appreciated!_

 _Till next time, bye! :)_

 _-LGGH AKA Atticus_


	3. 2

**2.**

Kate Marsh made my head spin.

She was kind, even though we were both born into a world as cruel as this.

I met her at the Two Whales Diner a few weeks back.

More like _saw_ her, to be honest with you.

I sat exactly a booth behind her with my little sister Leanne, ordering our breakfast before I dropped her off at our parents' house so that I could go back to school. The fact that we lived in Arcadia Bay together kept the option open for me to either A) Stay home and get dropped off to school every morning and picked up after school or B) Stay at school and get a car.

Frankly, it was a pretty fair deal to me; less work for my parents and a car of my own to drive around as I pleased.

So long as I didn't get arrested for speeding.

The food had arrived and we started to stuff our faces on breakfast.

I looked up as I chewed my food, looking in Kate's direction; she was having breakfast with her sisters. My shoulders tensed when I saw someone from school, don't know and don't care what her name was, but she went up to Kate and started spitting insults her way.

"You fucking goody goody, with that little cross around your neck," she spat at her, the words venomous like a lasting bite from a viper. "Go die, you little-"

I clenched my fist around my fork and threw it against my plate angrily, getting up to give that bitch a peace of my mind. Leanne gave me a warning look, telling me not to get involved with her.

I didn't give two shits.

As soon as I was about to get up, I saw the look on Kate's face; determined but completely unfazed. "I think you should go, Marcy," Kate's voice confident and powerful enough to keep me in my seat. "I have somewhere to be and I can't be late."

She didn't see me, but I saw her. I saw her as a powerful woman who could stand up for herself despite how relentless the world was to her..

She not only won all of my respect, but all of my love.

* * *

"Theo, are you even listening?"

My head snapped to my right when I realized Mr. Jefferson was calling my name. "Sorry, what?" I finally managed to say, my mind still going back to the day I first saw Kate Marsh.

Mr. Jefferson shook his head at me and continued, talking more about the history of photography. I breathed out a sigh of relief and continued clicking my pen, waiting for time to pass so that I could leave.

Maxine Caulfield never talked to me; hell, even now she was sleeping in the middle of class. But I liked it that way. I sat at her desk, and neither of us talked; we silently acknowledged each other's prensence, but never got around to verbally or physically doing so.

It was common knowledge that most of the girls who came to this class were mainly there just to thirst for Mr. Jefferson's 'hot' face. Me? I wouldn't know because 1) I'm straight and 2) I came to his classes for one person and one person only, Kate Marsh.

Okay, fine. I confess; I'm actually pretty into photography, but what Mr. Jefferson's teaching right now is the basic knowledge stuff, stuff that I _already_ knew, so there's not much of a point to pay attention in the first place.

Usually, Kate would be a little more interested in the lesson, but ever since what I found out this morning, I couldn't help but worry. Her gray eyes were glassy, dazed and empty, and there were such dark bags hanging under them. I really did want to talk to her at the time, but Victoria Chase's annoying presence would've stopped me from doing so, anyways.

Out of the blue, Max woke up, her head flying out of her arms, alarmed and unsure of what was happening. She looked like she just saw a ghost; Max looked around and eventually made eye contact with me.

"You okay, Max?" I whispered to her, an eyebrow raised in surprise because of how sudden that was.

Max's brown eyes were wide with an unknown fear of some sort, her bangs poking the corners of her eyes, but she briskly nodded her head at me, finding ways to distract herself by looking through her camera bag and her pencil case.

And so we're back to routine again.

I watched Kate as I always did, appreciating her beauty inside (personality-wise, you dirty minded-) and out. I saw a crumpled up paper ball fly in her direction, coming from behind, and nailing her right in the face. I turned around in my seat, taking turns at glaring at Victoria and one of her goons, Taylor.

 _Fucking bitches.._

Victoria blew a kiss my way and winked at me, leading to myself grimacing in despair.

I was tempted to get some sleep, but a blinding flash and a clicking process from my right, more commonly known as Max's seat and her polaroid in her hands, lead to a sudden silence in the room.

"Shh shh, I believe Max has taken what you kids call, a 'selfie'.. " Mr. Jefferson announced, all eyes locked on him, other than my own. I craned my head and continued to slouch in my chair, staring at my desk and cringing on Max's behalf since I knew _exactly_ what was gonna happen. "A dumb word for a wonderful photographic tradition. And Max.. has a gift. Of course as you all know, the photo portrait has been popular since the early 1800's. Your generation was not the first to use images for selfie-expression. Sorry; I couldn't resist." I sighed quietly as he continued, "The point remains that the portraiture has always been a vital aspect of art, and photography for as long as it's been around. Now, Max.." Oh Jesus, here we go. "Since you've captured our interest and _clearly_ want to join the conversation, can you _please_ tell us the name of the process that gave birth to the first self-portraits?"

Max's face was blank, seeing she didn't know the answer in the first place, "You're asking me? Let me think. Umm.."

 _Fucking hell, Caulfield._

"You either know this or not, Max," Mr. Jefferson snapped, slapping the table. "Is there anybody in here who knows their stuff?"

 _I knew enough to get A's on all my assignments, so.._

I could practically hear Victoria waving her hand around to get his attention. "Louis Daguerre was a French painter who created 'daguerreotypes,' a process that gave portraits a sharp reflective style, like a mirror." Victoria answered, and she certainly didn't waste any time in preparing an insult for Max, as always. "Now, you're totally stuck in the retro-zone. Sad face."

"Very good, Victoria," Mr. Jefferson replied; I could practically hear the girls around me drooling. He continued to talk to us about 'daguerreotypes' for the next couple of minutes.

The bell finally rang, relief setting over me as I stuffed my pen in my bag and threw it over my shoulder. Everybody, like myself, was rushing to get the hell out of there.

 _Praise the Lord above._

"And guys, don't forget to submit photos for the 'Everyday Heroes Contest,' Mr. Jefferson told to us, calling each of us out one by one to make a point. "Theo," Mr. Jefferson called me last, so I turned to look at him, popping both my eyebrows as I approached him. "Could you at least pretend to show some interest in my class? Look, I get it; you _really_ like Kate," he mumbled to me, since he was aware that I didn't want a certain _someone_ to hear, "but unless she's your 'muse' for your photography contest submission, I'm gonna need you to try to pay a little attention to me. Otherwise, there will be consequences."

I sighed, briefly running a hand through my hair, "Like what?" I'd asked him.

"Well, I'm aware that you aren't fond of the people sitting behind you, but if this continues, I'll be making you sit there."

 _For the love of everything holy-_

I closed my eyes and shook my head a little, "Anything else, sir?"

"Nope, you're good to go, Theo. See you tomorrow."

I nodded at him, turning to look at Kate, who was still sat at her desk, her head resting in her hand. She did look pretty tired, and I didn't wanna cause her any trouble.. But she looked sad, and a little.. lonely.

 _To talk to her or to not talk to her?_

 _To talk to her._

"Kate-" I said, but I was cut off by the person who'd suddenly come by my side, also the last person I wanted to see, any day.

Victoria gave me a sickly smile, asking, "Where do you think you're going, Jones?"

Well, shit. Victoria only used my last name when she was trying to get my attention.

"Move out of the way, Chase." I growled at Victoria, "I just wanna talk to her."

"You don't get to decide what happens around here, sweetheart," Victoria purred at me, the ice in her voice colder than the Antarctic. She put a hand on my chest, playing with the fabric of my shirt. "In fact, you still have to make up for that date you missed out on last week."

Oh; did I forget to mention that I was kinda forced into dating Victoria Chase because she wouldn't leave me the fuck alone?

I sighed in exasperation, rolling my eyes because of how fed up I was with her, "I didn't ask for this, Victoria," my tone a little gentler this time. "Can you please just let me talk to her?"

Victoria pouted, sticking out her bottom lip, revealing the brighter shade of red in her mouth in comparison to her pale skin complexion, "Fine, Theo - now give me a kiss."

I rolled my eyes again at Victoria and gave her a brief chicken peck on her mouth, mentally reminding myself to buy 10 more packets of gum to the get rid of the taste of her lips on mine.

Granted, she was hot, but I had no interest in bitchy, stuck-up people. Victoria Chase was a bully, and I had no interest whatsoever in people like her.

I looked up, only to find Kate rushing out of class like the wind, not even looking back to see if she's forgotten anything.

I sighed loudly, sad that I didn't get to talk to her, after all.

I decided to check the surroundings of Kate's desk, just to see if she forgot anything to give me the excuse to return it and talk to her.

The paper ball I saw earlier was here, so I picked it up, opening, only to find, ' _Thanks so much for your porno, Kate!'_ scrawled on the inside of it.

I pursed my lips tightly at that, crumpling it and pocketing it, to make sure that nobody else would know about the so-called porno.

 _Hang in there, Kate._

* * *

 _A/N: Ollo fam; plot fucking twist, amiright?_

 _What do you guys think of the softer side of Theo? Feedback and or a comment on your thoughts would be much appreciated ;D_

 _YAY! Max is here !_

 _Okay Lolol bye see you next time :P_

 _-LGGH AKA Atticus_


	4. 3

**3.**

I searched through the crowded hall filled with hormonal teenagers, looking for Kate Marsh. I still didn't know what I was gonna say to her if I did find her.

As I was looking around, walking around aimlessly, I bumped into somebody, "Sorry!" I exclaimed when I looked at her, my eyes widening when I realized who it was. "Chloe _fucking_ Price?" I whispered, confusion swirling through my head as I looked at her, still unsure if she was real or not.

Like her hair, her eyes were a big bright shade of blue - except the color of her hair was a sort of electric blue. Her short hair was stuffed in her beanie, just like the last time I saw her. She gave me a quick wave as she started off in the other direction, leaving me in the hall with my mouth opening and closing like a fish.

It's been so long..

I shook my head and tried to get myself out of the daze I put myself in. I caught sight of Kate making her way to another corridor, so I pushed past a little more in an effort to speak with her. A flash of purple stepped in front of me, so I froze in place, Alyssa's gaze burning into me. "Morning, Alyssa." I said to her, raising an eyebrow at her abruptness.

"Why're you trying so hard to get to Kate, Theo?" Very frank of Alyssa, as always.

I sucked in a breath, answering, "I just need to talk to her, that's all." I tried not to make my burning cheeks look so obvious.

Alyssa narrowed her eyes at me, poking my chest as she continued to glare me down, "Whatever it is you're planning, Theo, Kate doesn't deserve it." The tone in her voice was frighteningly serious, but I was aware of how protective Alyssa was of her. She was one of Kate's best friends, and like Kate, she had bad history with the Vortex Club. "She's a good person, and she would never do anything to hurt you or anybody else. I bet you watched that stupid video, didn't you?" Alyssa snapped at me, still poking my chest.

I gently took her hand and pushed it away, replying, "Alyssa, I don't know what you take me for, but I'm the last person you'd expect to be watching anything with explicit content."

"Are you saying Kate's explicit?" Alyssa seethed, the venom in her voice uncanny and uncalled for. "Theo, I'm warning you; if you lay a finger on her, you're gonna regret it."

I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "Alyssa, I promise you, I care about Kate as much as you do." I licked my bottom lip and continued, "Now if you're worried I'm going to hurt her somehow, let me know, okay? I'll step out of the way immediately when you do."

Alyssa considered this, seeing that her gaze softened significantly and she let me look for Kate. I waved her goodbye quickly, but not before hearing her say, "You better not hurt her, Theo."

I turned briefly, answering promptly before leaving, "I promise."

* * *

I searched everywhere and I couldn't find her anywhere in the building, she must've gone to Ms. Grant's class right after Mr. Jefferson's photography class. Just as I pushed the door open, jamming a hand in my pocket, the fire alarm went off. I turned around, appalled by the swarm of students who were suddenly pushing towards the exits. I made a beeline towards the campus lawn several meters away from the exit, jogging to get away from the swarm.

" _Christ_ ," I muttered, shocked by how sudden the drill was. "What the hell was that all about?"

I heard the sound of my name being called to my left, so I turned and grimaced when I saw Caleb and Sam waving me over to where they sat. I looked around to see if I could spot Kate anywhere, but the campus grounds were starting to fill with more people, so I shook my head, giving up on the idea of talking to her that day.

* * *

 _A/N: You guys, I'm so sorry this update was so short, but I literally have no time to write, let alone update these days.. I know this was more of a filler, but this was more of a chance for up you to get to know Theo a little better, as well as his relationships with the other students in Blackwell._

 _Alyssa's an underrated angel, legit nobody talks about her what the hell_

 _Welp, that's all for now, I guess! Bye :P_

 _-LGGH AKA Atticus_


	5. 4

**4.**

SEVERAL HOURS LATER.

"What the-" I stuttered, looking at the snowflakes raining down on us. I pushed myself off of the bench, glancing up at the golden sky. I held my hand out, expecting the snow to be some sort of optical illusion, but the cold that made contact with the skin on my hand told me otherwise. " _Yo_ , why the _fuck_ is it snowing?" I called out, asking the other people surrounding me.

Caleb and Sam were too captivated by the snow to notice, seeing that they were staring up at the sky as much as everyone else.

In that moment, I couldn't help but wonder about what Kate was doing at that very moment.

* * *

 **LIS EPISODE 2.**

Leaving the showers the next day wasn't a pleasant sight, seeing that the baboons in the boys dorms were hooting and hollering as always. One thing I noticed about all of them; they were all staring down at their phones.

Mixed expressions were on each of them; Warren looked like a traumatized kid who'd never caught a glimpse of explicit content before, Justin and Trevor almost uncomfortable with what they saw on their screens. I grimaced, remembering what Nathan had told me the day before.

 _Kate.._

"Yo, Theo!" I snapped out of the daze, looking towards Evan. A grim expression fixated his facial features, fixing his glasses as he walked towards me. "Have you seen the.." Evan cleared his throat, not really sure how else to put it, ".. _you know._ " I sighed, chewing on the inside of my cheek.

 _Who else knew about my crush on Kate?_

"I don't wanna see it, Evan," I told him, a surprisingly cold tone in my voice. "She doesn't deserve this. What the hell did she do to hurt us? Any of us?"

Evan clenched his jaw, sweeping away any strands of hair which fell out of place. "Ask the people who filmed it."

SEVERAL HOURS LATER.

The sky was dark, and I had a feeling that it would be pouring down on us at any minute.

"Bro," Sam started, clucking his tongue as he kept staring at his phone, "Kate's porno is pretty fucking hot; I can't stop watching it, but what a fuckin' skank," he added with a cruel laugh. "I mean, just look at how many guys she kissed! I wouldn't be surprised if she ended up with herpes by now!"

I squeezed my sandwich, having trouble swallowing the food that was in my mouth. "And you're telling me this why exactly, Samuel?" I snapped at him, my gaze burning into his flesh when he looked over at me, almost as if he was surprised by how angry I was at him.

Caleb looked over at Sam, who gave him a ' _shut the fuck up, he's gonna kick both of our asses at this rate_ ' look. Caleb glanced over at me, unfazed by my temper and the fact that I called these fools my friends. "If you like Kate so much," Caleb started, his voice serious as he continued, "why haven't you found any ways to get people to stop spreading it?"

"Viral videos can't just be stopped," I snapped at him, "I caught Warren watching it for the second time, and I already told him not to do it."

Caleb raised his hands in surrender, sarcastically saying, "Whoa there, Mr. Kewl Kid; trying to act like the sheriff of Blackwell just to get Kate's attention." Sam snickered, causing me to clench my jaw angrily.

"I don't understand why I'm even friends with you idiots," I hissed at them, "What did Kate ever do to you?"

Sam raised his eyebrows at me, shaking his head as he answered, "Don't you get it, Theo? She hasn't necessarily _done_ anything, it's free entertainment, and we're willing to watch."

"By laughing at someone else's expense?" I snapped, the mayo in my sandwich oozing all over my fingers. I shook it in a pathetic attempt of getting rid of it.

Caleb scoffed, replying with, "Kate seemed to be having a _lot_ of fun from what we could see; I mean, look at her go!"

I made sure my eyes remained fixated on Sam and Caleb; though my heart was strong, my mind was weak. My mind let my eyes wander, and they landed on the video playing on Caleb's phone. My heart dropped to the pit of my stomach when I saw Kate in the video. "Oh, Kate.." I whispered, horrified by what I saw on the screen. Kate jumped from person to person, grabbing them and kissing them full on the mouth. My heart clenched with each person she kissed, but.. _something_ was up. "This doesn't make any sense." I mumbled, baffled by what I'd just witnessed.

Sam snorted, grabbing Caleb's phone and bringing it closer to his face, "What could you possibly say to get her out of this? Bro, look at her go!"

I shook my head, my head still spinning because of the confusion and the blood boiling in my body, "She was the one that set up the abstinence campaign, so it wouldn't make sense for her to be.." I stopped talking, feeling dizzy because of the confusion.

"What exactly do you see in her, man?" Sam leaned over and said to me in disgust. "She's a such a slut. You _know_ about the porno being spread across the school, and you _saw_ for yourself!

Caleb shook his head in disappointment, telling me, "Kate Marsh is fucking disgusting."

"She's a fucking skank."

"Slut."

"Whore."

Their words echoed in my head, but none of it meant a thing to me.

"She's beautiful," I said to them, the words slipping out the way a professional ice skater gracefully danced across an ice rink.

Caleb and Sam looked at me in confusion, appalled by the fact that I was defending the girl I loved. "You're calling a _hoe_ beautiful?" Caleb spat at me.

"There are so many other girls here in Blackwell," Sam started, "much _hotter_ girls at that, and you pick _Kate fucking Marsh_? You could've picked _Rachel Amber_ for all we cared, and she she isn't even here anymore!"

Their words were merely muffled and cloudy in my ears, my heart clenching

And then, I saw her.

Walking out of the school's main building, hugging herself as she walked in careful and calculated steps.

She looked around in paranoia, looking my way for a split second. I could see the bags under her eyes because of the stress and rumors being thrown around about her.

Kate knew she was being watched.

I just wish she knew that not everyone was against her, that there was someone who loved her for who she was, that they'd be there for her till the end.

Unfortunately, she didn't know I even existed, so that defeated the purpose altogether.

I took a look at my watch and cursed, realizing that I'd end up late to class.

* * *

 _A/N: Oh shit here we go here we go here we go !_

 _-LGGH AKA Atticus_


	6. 5

The dull sky hanging over us was so different to what we saw yesterday, drab and gray unlike the gold and orange hues shining through to us yesterday. My gut was telling me it was a sign, but of what?

I couldn't help but worry when I saw Kate walking towards the Prescott dormitories, my fist curled tightly around the strap of my bag, praying silently nothing bad would happen to her.

"Nobody understands," Kate whimpered, her hands crossed over her chest as she continued to cry silently to herself. I clenched my jaw, pressing my lips together as I watched her saunter away.

The strong girl I once knew was gone, replaced by the broken and fragile girl walking away.

* * *

" _Yo!"_ Zachary came stumbling in, his eyes wide as he told us, "There's a huge commotion going on at the roof of the girls' dorms! Check it out!"

I felt as though someone had taken ahold of my heart and squeezed hard on it.

 _Kate was just walking towards the girls' dorms just a few minutes ago.._

The bile in my throat threatened to pour out of my mouth at any moment, my hands trembling as I fumbled out of my chair to get to her as quickly as I could.

 _Hold on, Kate.. I'm coming._

 _Please, please, please._

 _Kate, please.._

 _Don't jump._

I shoved the doors open, my feet slipping as I ran through the the muddy lawns of Blackwell's campus grounds. The rain was trying to weaken my resolve, but I fought as hard as I could, the rain soaking my hair, my face, my clothes.

 _If only I could stop time, maybe I'll get there in time if I was able to.._

I pushed past the people trying to catch a glimpse of Kate, shoving anybody who was loitering about as they watched her standing on the edge of the roof of the girl's dorm. I ran past Mr. Madsen, my legs aching as I forced myself to run faster, my lungs crying for air as I pushed myself up the stairs to get to the roof. I gulped in a huge breath of air as soon as I slammed the door open, a mixture of sweat and rain soaking me and my clothes. " _Kate_!" I yelled out, my body crying silent tears from exhaustion.

Kate slowly turned to look at me, trembling as her glassy gray eyes burned holes through me. Her eyes were red, the dark circles under them squeezing my chest. "Theodore," she whispered, my heart stopping when I realized how much I liked hearing her say my name. _Holy shit, she knew my name._ "What're you doing here?"

" _Please,_ don't do this.." I croaked out, my throat closing up from how terrified I was.

 _Don't leave me, Kate. I'm sorry I didn't run after you when I should've.._

* * *

 _A/N: I fucking love you guys for your reviews and the follows and favs.. :3 It means so much to me, so thank you :)_

 _-LGGH AKA Atticus_


	7. 6

**6.**

"Stay back, Theodore," Kate told me, her voice fragile as she spoke to me, "Stop! Don't come near me!"

I froze, my grip on the rooftop entrance's door knob tightening significantly. "Kate, I..."

"Theo, seriously, don't come near me. I will jump," Kate's voice, like glass, was shattering by the second, the same way she was shattering my heart. It hurt me to see her in this much pain, and it hurt even more when knew that I could've done more to stop it.

I let go of the door handle, taking a small step forward as I told her, "Okay, okay. I'm right here. Kate, please.."

"Oh, Theodore. I know you want to help me," Kate answered, "It meant so much to me hearing you stop your friends from talking about the video, but it's too late. Nothing matters anymore," Kate croaked, her eyes still red and puffy from the tears.

I choked out, my throat closing up from how dangerous our current situation was, "Kate, _you_ matter, and not just to me. You have people such as myself who care about you, you are worth it. You're worth every second of my time and everyone else's, so don't you dare say otherwise."

"I'd love to believe that."

"Kate," I said, my lips trembling as I took another small step forward, "Your life is still yours; and we can get through this together. Let me help you, Kate. Like when I got people to stop watching the video on a loop.."

"How can I trust you? I barely know!" Kate yelled at me, but her gaze softened, but only slightly. "But I am glad to hear that you worry about me; that makes me feel a little better."

Another step closer.

 _Kate, just hang in there.._

"Of course I have the right to worry, you're my.." I paused, not knowing whether to call her a friend or.. No; friend for now would be best for now, "..friend." I could see that Kate sensed my hesitation, so I continued, a little stronger and louder this time, "I mean, yes, we never _really_ talked, but, Kate, please just trust me on this. Come stand by me, okay? I can help you now, I know I can. This morning, I stopped people in the boys dorms from watching the video again," I explained, praying her faith in me was a little stronger now. "That video doesn't define who you are as a person, so it doesn't matter to me what people think of you or say about you."

"Are you serious?" Kate asked, relief flooding her features. "Thank you so much.. The fact that you don't care about that video and would come up here to stop me means a lot.. "

I swallowed hard, taking yet another careful step forward, "I care about you because.. I believe you were drugged. There is no way you would've done what you did in the video if you weren't; I know you, Kate. It was you, after all, that kick-started the abstinence campaign in the school; so we will find out who did this to you and make them pay for it."

"You sound so persuasive, Theodore," Kate answered, her soft voice drowning in the sound of the rain beating down on us and the rooftop of the Prescott Dormitories. "If only.." Her voice faded, my heartbeat picking up significantly.

"Kate, I believe you. Will you believe me?" I asked her, the following step almost becoming routine to me. "Please, Kate." I begged her, "You don't have to do this.."

"Theodore, I'm in a nightmare and I can't wake up! Unless I put myself to sleep. " Kate then let out a dry scoff in the rain, "Then everybody at Blackwell can post pics of my body. I'm already on the Internet forever.. No wonder they call it a _web_ \- nothing can ever get out. Like my video.." Kate hiccuped, my chest tightening in fear. "I wish I could just go back in time and erase everything.."

I stood where I was, clenching my fists to stop my hands from trembling so much, "Kate, this is our chance to beat the bullies. That's the only way we can win against them. If you could just step down-"

"Can we really, Theodore?" Kate asked me, her voice cynical and full of negativity. _They've put her through so much.._ "I don't really believe in miracles anymore, either."

"Now I do, and you're part the reason why." I answered, my body telling me to take another step forward. I figured honesty would be a massive help to bringing her back, so I told her, "Kate, I'll be honest with you, I'm not a very religious person, but my mom showed me a couple of beautiful passages from the Bible the other day. _Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest._ "

"You quoted one of my favorite passages," Kate choked out, smiling gratefully as I took another step closer to her. "But nobody cares about me."

My heart dropped to the pit of my stomach, "Kate, you _are_ loved, your sisters-! I saw you sitting with your little sister at the Two Whales the other day, and how strong you were being for her. What's her name?"

Tears were running down both of our cheeks, her's because of how overwhelming the things I was telling her were, mine because of how scared I was of the possibility of Kate jumping.

"Her name's Lynn," she whispered, "She's only 10.. I would hate to see her sad.. She does have a great smile.."

Once I was a meter away from her, I offered her a hand, my eyes filled with remorse as well as fear. "Will you come with me, Kate?" I asked her, my voice shaking as much as I was.

I looked Kate in the eye, Kate doing the same with me; she looked at my hand, reached for it, jumping off of the ledge and into my arms.

"You're okay, you're okay," I said to Kate, cradling her in my arms as she shook with her sobs. I kissed the top of her head, stroking her cheeks and making her face me. "Listen to me, you're okay. You're beautiful, you're worth it, you're loved, you're cared for. If you don't believe it, you have me, Kate. Please don't ever try to do that again."

The tears staining Kate's cheeks were almost invisible in the rain, my heart aching when she looked at me with wide eyes, "You.. you _care_ about me?" Kate whispered, her voice almost drowned out by the sound of the rain.

"More than you'll ever know," I told her, hugging her tightly as I rested my chin on top of her head. "Please, please, _please_ don't _ever_ do this again. Imagine how your dad would react; your sisters, too.."

I cradled her in the rain, my heart slamming against my chest; though I wasn't sure if it was because of relief, or because it was Kate altogether.

 _Holy shit, I saved Kate Marsh._

* * *

 _A/N: YOOOOOOO I ACTUALLY CRIED WHEN I SAVED KATE IN EPISODE 2.._

 _YAAAAAAAS THEO SAVED KATE !1!_

 _Thoughts? No? Lolol okay bye then :P_

 _-LGGH AKA Atticus_


	8. 7

**7.**

I thanked the lady behind the counter, holding onto the bouquet of tulips. The fragrance of the flowers wafted into my nose, my heart slamming against my rib cage as I got back into my pickup truck.

 _I wonder how she's doing.._

* * *

I knocked on the hospital room door, one hand jammed in my pocket as the other held the bouquet of tulips behind my back. "Come in!" A chirpy voice answered; I couldn't help but grin when I realized how much Kate was recovering since I'd escaped her on the rooftop yesterday. "Theodore!" Kate exclaimed, sitting up straighter in the hospital bed when I walked into the room. The bouquet of tulips was hidden behind my back, the grin appearing on my face couldn't be helped.

I let out a small laugh, saying, "I see you've been looking forward to seeing me."

Kate rolled her eyes, getting up to sit in the chair allocated by the window. I froze, looking at the window, then back at her. "Theodore, what do you take me for?" Kate asked in horror, "Even if I wanted to jump, I can't. The window's locked tight."

I tried not to let her see how relieved I was by this, but I shook my head, looking around the hospital room.

Balloons with ' _Get well soon!'_ written on them were on Kate's bedside, a variety of cards lying on the small coffee table in front of her bed catching my eye.

 _So people_ do _care.._

Just as I put the bouquet of tulips by the cards, my phone buzzed in my pocket. I opened it, finding a quick message from Juliet.

 _'just wanted 2 let u know bout zach and v. sorry.'_

 _Wait.. Wha- Oh._

Though I was mildly offended that Victoria had been cheating on me with someone like Zachary, I couldn't help but feel relieved. Obviously, I felt horrible about him cheating on Juliet, but.. I'm a free man now.

I texted a quick apology to Juliet, and started preparing this for Victoria:

 _'So. You and Zach, huh?_  
 _It's fine; I could tell you never really liked me from the moment we started talking. You probably just didn't want me to go anywhere near Kate anyways, but here we are._  
 _You put her through enough pain, so I think it's best for us to end things. It's better this way._  
 _Later, Victoria._  
 _-T'_

Right when I was about to press send, a knocking on the door came about. I looked at Kate, then back at my phone. I locked the phone, raising an eyebrow at Kate - to which she nodded in acknowledgment - then proceeded towards the door. I opened it, taken by surprise by who had showed up.

 _"_ Victoria?" I asked, appalled by the fact that she came by to see Kate. "What brings you here?"

Victoria held up a card, as well as a box of chocolates. "Are you gonna let me in or are you going to make me stand out here like a loser?" She drawled, the sarcasm in her words oozing into the floor. I raised my hands in surrender, waiting by the door as she spoke with Kate. They spoke for several minutes, I was surprised by how absorbed in conversation the two girls were.

I actually caught them smiling at one another after they bid each other goodbye.

I saw Victoria looking pointedly towards the door, a gesture of her wanting to speak with me in private. I looked towards Kate, mouthing, " _Will you be okay?_ "

" _I'll be fine,_ " Kate mouthed back - I couldn't help notice her gaze lingering onto Victoria in hesitation - to which I walked out the room, ending up alone in the hospital corridor with Victoria Chase. Our footsteps briefly echoed, the sounds of our shoes hitting the floor bouncing about the walls of Arcadia Bay's hospital.

I jammed one hand in my pocket, the other holding onto my phone, waiting for an answer from Victoria. Both of my eyebrows were raised at her as I held my phone up after unlocking it, showing Victoria the text I was about to send her. "Well?" I asked her.

"Theo," Victoria sighed, "Okay, I was wrong. I shouldn't have cheated on you."

I rolled my eyes at her, snapping, "Well, _sweetheart_ , that's not why I'm mad. The reason why I'm mad is because _you_ were the one who insisted we hook up, even though you knew I couldn't give you someone to be in bed with."

Victoria shook her head, her gaze intense as she replied flawlessly, "I admit it; but you can't keep demonizing me just for wanting me to keep you away from her," Victoria reasoned with me, crossing her arms over her chest as we stood in the hospital corridor.

I ran a hand through my hair, sighing as I asked, "But why Zachary?"

Victoria's lips twitched at that, "Though he may be dumb, he's cute. Plus, he's great in bed."

I made a sort of choking-gagging sound at the back of my throat, stifling a look of disgust as I spoke with Victoria. "I did _not_ need to know that, thanks." I said to her, shuddering at the image in my head. "You're lucky I'm still a virgin."

Victoria shook her head at me, "It's gonna stay that way until you get married to Kate; if you're willing to wait that long, that is."

"Victoria," I started, but I got cut off by her.

"I came here to apologize, and I'm done. So it's best if we just stayed.."

I blinked at her, not really knowing what to call her. We weren't friends, nor were we even acquaintances. "..classmates?" I suggested in a joking manner.

Victoria nodded, a tight lipped smile on her lips as she waved me goodbye.

 _I'm free._

* * *

 _A/N: If you guys have anything to say at all, don't be shy! I do take your opinions very seriously, so I'll do my best to respond! :D_

 _A nice Victoria!? Wow! Jkjk she's just insecure; that was her way of trying to say that she wasn't.. *coughs loudly* Do you approve, Jk Tolkien? ;)_

 _I love reading what you guys have to say - tbh, it makes my day -_ _so if you want just ask, and I will answer! Drop a fav/follow if you wanna keep up! I also have an announcement coming up a couple of chapters from now, so keep on your toes ;3_

 _Bye for now! :D_

 _-LGGH AKA Atticus_


	9. 8

**8.**

I walked back in, smiling to myself as I sat on Kate's hospital bed, watching her draw in her sketchbook. "What're you up to?" I asked her, peaking at it from where I sat.

Kate glanced up at me, smiling as she replied, "I was thinking about that children's book I was planning to write."

I pushed myself off of the bed and looked over at the finished drawings beside her, picking up the sketchbook and skimming through the pages.

 _She's come so far.. I'm so proud of her for staying strong._

I put the book down and looked at Kate, the pain she once had almost vanishing completely. I could see how much she was recovering; despite her struggle, she was still the strong and beautiful girl I admired from the moment I came to Blackwell.

She looked adorable, all focused on her sketchbook as she drew; at the same time, she was calm and composed, like she was letting the pencil take her away into another world. Kate Marsh was a dreamer, and I'm glad the nightmares have finally started to go away.

"What?" Kate asked me, shaking me out of my daze.

I shook my head with a laugh, answering, "Nothing, it's just that you look pretty cute when you're focused."

Kate froze, the pencil hovering over the sketchbook. She looked away from me sharply, looking down at the sketchbook, and then back at me. Confusion swirled in her eyes; I kneeled down on the floor in front of her, taking her hands, "Kate, look at me." She kept her eyes on the sketchbook, I let go of one and put it under her chin, propping her chin up, "I promise you, I'm not gonna let anything happen to you. You're safe now, okay?"

Kate squeezed my hand, swallowing hard as she looked me in the eye, "Theodore, I know that," she whispered, "and I'm grateful. It's just that.." A tension I couldn't describe filled the air, thick enough to cut with a knife if I had one. "I felt so.. _gross_ after the party; I still do, and I don't even know why I do, I just.. I don't want it to happen again, you know?"

 _Was she.. Oh dear God, I hope not._

I squeezed back, giving her a reassuring smile, "Kate, listen. I'm staying with you until they let you out of here, okay? Until then, I won't let anything happen to you. Depending on who comes to visit, I'll leave you alone with them in the room when you want me to, okay? If you can trust them, I can, too."

Kate nodded at me, her lips pressed together in a thin line.

A knocking on the door came about, so we both turned to look. I got up, walking briskly to open the door, finding Max Caulfield standing in front of me. "Theo!" Max exclaimed, the grin on her face unwavering.

I turned to look at Kate briefly, then back at Max.

 _I could've sworn she was smirking.._

I smiled weakly, muttering a quick 'hey' as I opened the door. Bright white hospital corridor lights and electric blue hair could be blinding to sensitive eyes. "Price?" I said to Chloe once I stepped outside, surprised that she was here.

"Hey, Jones." Chloe said to me as I shut the door. "Someone's looking hella happy," Chloe noted, smirking when she saw the red tinting my cheeks. "Max told me about how you stopped her from jumping.. How is she?"

I looked back at the closed room door, wondering what Max was talking about with Kate. "A lot better now, thanks for asking, Price." I answered, the corners of my lips turning upward. "But what about you?" I asked, diverting my attention towards her, "What've you been up to since you, well, _left_ Blackwell?"

Chloe maintained a poker face, but I could see the determination in her eyes. "Ever since Rachel went missing, I've stopped at nothing to keep looking for her." Her voice was strained, pained by how much she missed her. "Max has come back to me, and she's been helping me piece together the clues."

I narrowed my eyes at her, my eyebrows scrunched up together when I asked her, "What do you mean by 'come back to you'? Was she your.." My voice faded into nothing, a calm silence filled the air.

Chloe gave me a small smile, "Max moved to Seattle five years ago, leaving me alone right after.. a tough time." Chloe cleared her throat and kept going, "She's back now, though. So that's all that matters."

"Anything I can do to help?" I asked her, trying to ignore the fact that she evaded my question altogether.

Chloe glanced at me, her gaze serious, "Just look after Kate and everybody else, okay?"

I nodded at her in understanding, my mind still buzzing with curiosity. "So do you love her?"

Chloe's blue eyes widened, opening her mouth to answer. "I.. Well.." She was at a loss for words.

I laughed, grinning at her as I nudged her arm, "I feel you, Price."

Max walked out, waving at Kate one last time before she shut the door. I caught a glimpse of Kate; we made eye contact for a split second and we both averted our eyes as soon as the door swung shut.

"I saw the way she looked at you, Theo," Max said to me teasingly, punching my shoulder lightly.

I raised an eyebrow at her, scoffing as I answered, "And how's that?"

Chloe and Max exchanged looks, smirking as they answered, "The way you look at her."

 _From the way these two behaved around one another, you'd automatically assume they were dating.. Whatever, I ship it._

"Damn you both."

They both laughed, waving me off as they walked towards the exit. "Keep her safe, okay?" Chloe told me.

"I will."

* * *

Evan texted me an hour or so later.

' _Theo, coming to the EOW Party tonight?'_

 _'No.'_

 _'Taking care of Kate?'_

 _'Mm.'_

 _'Alright, tell her get well soon for me. Later, man.'_

 _'Will do; ciao.'_

* * *

Somehow, we ended up lying together on Kate's hospital bed, me holding her close to me to help her fall asleep.

"You know," Kate whispered to me as she nuzzled her head against my chest, "When I ran out of class, the day before I tried to jump, it was because I saw you kissing Victoria."

I craned my neck as best as I could to look at her, Kate's fingers curling up around the fabric of my shirt as we lied down on Kate's hospital bed, the light breeze coming from the window brushing our cheeks lightly.

 _She was jealous of Victoria? She was hurt because she saw me kissing someone that wasn't her?_

"It didn't mean a thing," I whispered to Kate, my arms wrapped around her protectively to keep away the dangers. "None of it did; I was forced into dating her, I thought you knew that."

I could feel Kate's nails digging into the shirt, she continued trembling as I held her. "I wouldn't have gone to that god forsaken party if I'd known, Theo," she whispered, her voice breaking as she told me. "I was hurting and I needed to get away from it."

The guilt of it all clawed at my stomach, the burning sensation painfully intense.

"But Theo, why aren't you going to the party?" She asked me all of a sudden, "You shouldn't have to be stuck in here with me, I'm okay." Kate whispered to me, her cheek pressed against my chest.

I pulled her closer, putting my chin on top of her head, "I promised you I'd keep you safe, Kate." I mumbled to her, kissing the top of her head. "Going there would be selfish of me, and I like staying here with you."

"But why?" Kate asked me, looking up at me, "I'm not like Victoria, or Taylor, or Courtney. Not even Dana for that matter.. They're prettier, more glamorous than me.."

I raised my eyebrows at her, surprised by how insecure she was being. "Kate," I started, "Just because all four of the girls you mentioned are in the Vortex Club doesn't mean that I'd choose any of them over you. Besides, Dana likes Trevor and Victoria's been cheating on me with Zachary."

"Wait, so..You're using me to get even with her?" Kate asked, horrified as she tried to push me away.

I sighed, pulling out my phone and showing her the latest text I sent Victoria. "I promise you, Kate; I would've been a lot more direct about wanting to date you if I was trying to get even with her. Honestly though, what do you think of her now?" I asked, expectant of her answer.

Kate visibly relaxed, almost relieved by what if just told her. "I believe in seeing the best in people; and I believe that Victoria truly has changed for the better." I couldn't help but smile as she said that. "When she gave me her card, I could see the sincerity in her eyes, and I could hear the truth in her voice. Even if you don't believe it, I do."

"It's okay, Kate," I answered, "I don't have to. She was sincere enough to admit to her mistake, so I understand."

I held her till she fell asleep.

* * *

 _A/N: Hey, y'all! So, since I finished playing Life Is Strange, I figured that those of you reading this fic already know about the binary ending._

 _So.._

 _There will be two endings to this fanfic! :D_

 _Just thought I should let you know ;)_

 _Okay, bye for now!_

 _-LGGH AKA Atticus_


	10. SACRIFICE CHLOE - ENDING

**AFTER CHLOE WAS SHOT.**

After walking into my room, I tossed aside my bag, throwing myself at my bed, sighing as soon as my body made contact with it. "I've missed you, my love." I mumbled, hugging the pillow closest to me. I jolted in my position when I felt my phone vibrating in my pocket, sitting up to answer it. I unlocked it, surprised to see that it wasn't Victoria sexting me for once.

It was Victoria, but..

She never called.

I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion as I answered, "Victoria?"

"Theo, I think it's time we broke up." _Very frank of you, Victoria._

I couldn't help but smile to myself, "You certainly seem excited about it. What changed your mind?"

"You aren't my type, _Theodore_." _Ouch, playing the full name card._ "Plus, it's best if I was honest, as a fresh start, you know? I've lived with enough lies to last a lifetime."

I held onto my phone a little tighter, my curiosity burning my insides, "Your's or someone else's?" I asked quietly.

"Both," she confessed over the phone. "I hear you were close to Price."

"I wouldn't say _close,"_ I answered, mildly flattered that people believed that we were pretty tight. "But why do you ask so suddenly?"

Victoria was silent, the pause between us deafening and swallowing me whole. "I'm sorry, Theo.."

"Why the fuck are you apologizing?" I asked her, my throat feeling tighter with each passing second.

"She's dead," Victoria said to me, her voice so serious, I couldn't tell it was her.

 _What?_

I clenched my phone tightly, the sweat on my palm making it slippery in my hand. "You're kidding," I told her shakily, "This is some sick fucking joke, isn't it?"

"Mr. Madsen found her body in the girls' bathroom, she was shot in the stomach with the gun they found in there, and.." Victoria stopped talking.

"What else do you know?" I seethed, my heart in my throat as I bit my lip to stop myself from screaming, the metallic taste of blood appeared in my mouth.

I could hear Victoria breathing heavily when she finally answered, "Nathan was in the bathroom, too."

* * *

I stared into the mirror, adjusting the tie that went along with my suit. "Chloe.." I muttered, my heart heavy when I remembered why I was even wearing this suit in the first place. I took a shaky breath as I opened my dorm room door, swallowing hard to stop myself from screaming obscenities.

My glassy eyes ignored Caleb and Sam as I walked past them, making my way to the exit and the parking lot.

Prescott, you fucker..

* * *

Arcadia Bay's Cemetery was eerily quiet, mainly because the people who attended the funeral all had mixed feelings about Chloe. From what I could see, most people did know Chloe Price; but I don't think Kate did, I'm pretty sure she didn't. I don't mean to say this in the sense that Chloe was a bad person, she fell in with the wrong crowd and that led to her downfall.

Mr. Jefferson, that sick bastard, he was the one responsible for Kate's pain, Rachel Amber was dead because of him; who knows who else was killed because of his psychotic ways. He and Nathan were just as bad as each other..

Once I added my share of dirt and gave my condolences to Joyce and Mr. Madsen, I caught a glimpse of a small red poppy brushing against my shoe. I picked it up, uprooting the small flower from the ground.

 _Poppies symbolized hope._

I looked it over, glancing at the beauty known as Kate Marsh, holding onto Max's shoulder as a condolence. I spoke with Joyce and Mr. Madsen briefly, apologizing to Max when I heard people saying they were childhood best friends, must be tough.

Once everybody had split up, making their way towards the exit, I walked towards Kate, holding the poppy out to her. "Kate, I.. _Uhh_.. Name's Theo. We're in Mr. Jefferson's class together. Uhh, I mean.." _Smooth, Jones, real smooth. "_ I.. I just.. Figured you could use this." Kate took it, looking at the poppy then looking back at me, "You know how poppies symbolize hope, and I just thought maybe.."

Kate gave me a small smile, her nimble and delicate fingers holding onto the poppy as if it were made of glass. "Thank you, Theodore." The way my name rolled on her tongue made the butterflies in my stomach soar higher and higher, my cheeks reddening in embarrassment as I ran a hand through my hair.

I breathed out a sigh, giving her an awkward smile as I offered her an arm. "I'm trying and failing at being a gentleman," I told her jokingly. Kate put her arm in mine, giving me a small smile as we walked towards the exit together.

Most people made their way towards the bus stop, Kate being one of them as she released my arm to walk in that direction. I unlocked my pickup truck's door, opening the door and realizing that maybe, _just maybe,_ I had a chance with Kate Marsh.

"Would this be too soon of me to be asking you to lunch, someday?"

Kate looked over at me, one corner of her mouth raised, "If you're looking for a hookup in bed, I made that abstinence campaign for a reason," Kate told me flatly.

I barked out a laugh, shaking my head as I grinned at her. "I promise you, Kate; all I wanna do is date the girl I've had a crush on for a while."

"What about Victoria?" Kate asked, turning around fully to face me, both hands holding onto her purse.

I shrugged, "She never really liked me, Kate."

I swear I caught her lips twitching at that.

I made my way to the passenger side of the pickup truck, calling out to her, "You sure you don't want a ride?"

Kate bit the corner of her lip, turning to look at the bus stop, then back at me. She smiled, waving goodbye to Max as she walked towards me.

"Ladies first," I told her, opening the passenger door for her as I sent a small smile her way.

The drive back to Blackwell was quiet, not the eerie kind, the serene kind. I turned on the radio, _The 1975's Heart Out_ playing softly in the pickup trucks speakers.

 _'It's just you and I tonight, why don't you figure my heart out?'_

I glanced over at Kate, catching her smiling as she looked out the window.

 _Everything was gonna be okay._

* * *

 _A/N: Thanks for bearing with me and my sporadic updates :P_

 _Second ending will be up in a bit! :D_

 _-LGGH AKA Atticus_


	11. SACRIFICE ARCADIA BAY - ENDING

"Don't you see what's going to happen?" Kate whispered to me, horrified as we both watched the storm happening outside the hospital window. "We're all going to die once the storm gets here."

I looked at Kate, incredibly calm despite the tears running down her face, despite the fact that certain doom was coming our way. "I know," I told her, reaching for Kate's hand and giving it a reassuring squeeze. "But so what? We're together, aren't we?" I gave her a sad smile, waiting for her answer.

"Theo," Kate started, pausing as she pressed her lips together before her gray eyes met my brown eyes, "I'm sorry you're going to die a virgin."

"Better to die doing the right thing than sinning, am I right?" I told to her jokingly, sending a sad smile her way. "C'mere," I said to her, opening my arms.

 _We may be dead before tomorrow morning, but at least we'll die together._

I engulfed her in a tight hug, my chin resting on top of her head. It was nice being able to wear my pajamas her without her caring. "We're gonna be okay, Kate," I whispered to her, closing my eyes when I heard the storm coming closer.

Kate let go, facing me as she pulled away. She put her warm hands on my cold cheeks, my heart beating faster and faster in my chest.

 _What did I do to deserve someone as beautiful as Kate to be my girlfriend?_

Kate stroked my cheeks with her thumbs, so I held onto her waist, pulling her closer. "Thank you for everything, Theodore," Kate whispered to me, pulling my face towards her, planting a soft and sweet kiss on my lips.

I breathed in her scent, my heart satisfied and my knees feeling weak as we kissed in the midst of the storm. Kate pulled away, I pulled her into my chest. "Do you want me to sing for you?" I whispered to Kate, my cheeks reddening in the dark lighting of the room. Kate nodded against my chest, so I started.

 _"I feel your lips moving and they take me under, you know just what to do how to make me want you,"_ Kate sobbed into my chest, I could hear and feel my heart breaking piece by piece.

 _She doesn't deserve this.._

" _And I know I'll be broken when it's over; oh, but I can't help but pull you closer,"_ I hugged her as close to me as I could, burying my face in her hair as I kept singing.

" _I tried to tie my heart down, board up all the windows; oh, but it's too late now I let you get too close,"_

 _"Cuz you're a force of nature, look at what you've done, I can taste the danger, but I don't wanna run,"_

" _So, hold me to the ground and I won't put up a fight, I'm a caution taker, but baby you're a force of nature.."_ Once I'd stopped singing for her, I kissed Kate's forehead softly, hugging her close to me as we waited.

 _We were gonna be okay._

* * *

 _A/N: That, ladies and gents, is the end of OASNAS! Thank you to everyone who stuck around to read this, and I had a ton of fun writing this :D_

 _Have a good day, y'all! :)_

 _-LGGH AKA Atticus_


	12. BONUS! - it's a date

**_(Side note, this takes place after Chloe's funeral.)_**

* * *

"What do you think?" I asked Evan, fixing my collar and turning to face him. I waited for the scrutiny, but all I could see were wide eyes on his end.

Evan arched an eyebrow, "A tux? On a first date?" Evan deadpanned. "This place better be worth-"

"I'm taking her to The Two Whales," I blurted out, my cheeks reddening in embarrassment. Evan pressed his lips together in an attempt to hold in a laugh, but he failed miserably. "I like The Two Whales, okay? Why are you still laughing?" I stammered, my cheeks and neck reddening uncontrollably at this point.

Evan cleared his throat, walking over to me and pulling off my blazer. "It's fine that you want to take her to the Two Whales, man. It's just. I thought this was a casual date?"

I blinked at him, turning around to look at myself in the mirror. "Fuck," I muttered.

"Hey," Evan said, clapping my shoulder. "Theo, you'll be fine. Just.."

"Lose the tux?" I suggested.

"Lose the tux," Evan said in agreement.

I sucked in a deep breath and undid my bowtie, unbuttoning my white shirt and tossing it on the bed. "What should I wear then, Mr. Zoolander?" I grinned at Evan, averting his eyes when I saw the faint notion of a blush on his cheeks. The smile on my face fell when I remembered that Evan was, in fact, gay and that what I was doing was low-key teasing him. "Right, sorry," I mumbled, grabbing the nearest shirt I could find.

"It's fine, just. Keep it casual, Theo," Evan said, clearing his throat, "Have you got any baseball shirts lying around?"

I sucked in my bottom lip, heading to my wardrobe and grabbing my Dodgers shirt. "Better?" I asked as I held the shirt against my chest.

Evan looked into the mirror at me, grinning, "Much, much better. Lose the trousers, throw some jeans on, and bam! You're ready to go. Don't even fucking think about going anywhere near your disgusting khakis."

I snorted, giving him a small smile in thanks. "So, Caleb, huh?" I stated.

"I haven't told him," Evan said matter-of-factly. "He'll think I'm a.." Evan heaved out a sigh, "..faggot.. for liking guys."

I sighed, clearing my throat. "As annoying as Caleb can sometimes be, he would never stoop that low. Besides, he's bi, so why would he?"

Evan's eyes widened, a glint of relief in his eyes, "H-he is?" Evan stammered.

I smirked, nudging his shoulder as I walked him towards my room door. "Don't be afraid to ask him out. Caleb's as single as a Pringle."

"Pringles come in tall cans filled with other Pringles," Evan muttered. This was one of the first times I'd ever seen Evan Harris's confidence waver, so seeing him flustered was a rare occasion I'd want to remember for a while.

I snorted, pointing towards Caleb in the corridor, talking to Sam. Evan's face paled significantly when he saw Caleb, so I gave his back a light push to go forward. "Caleb may not be a Prince Charming, but if he's the type of guy you'd want to date, go for it, E."

After stumbling forward for a second, Evan shot a glare at me, turning around to face me. "He's part of the fucking Vortex Club," he hissed.

"So?" I said. "I am, too. I'm nothing like most of the people in it. Caleb's just a little... misguided. Talk to him; you'll see."

Evan groaned, my quiet laugh being the last thing he had heard before I shut my dorm room door. I listened to the jingle of my text tone on my bed, so I walked towards my phone, smiling when I saw that it was Kate.

'Hey, theo :)'

I grinned, typing up a reply.

'heyya, kate c:'

Kate started typing.

'where should we meet?"

The insides of my stomach always turned to jelly every time I spoke to Kate. I pressed my lips together as I replied.

'i'll pick you up in front of your dorm xo.'

My cheeks reddened when I realized I'd just sent her a hug and a kiss. My heart practically jumped out of my chest when I saw her response.

'okay, see you in a bit xx.'

Christ, I was fucking smitten.

After putting on a tiny amount of cologne - only noticeable up close - I opened the door leading to the corridor. I double checked whether I had my phone, car keys and wallet on me before heading towards the girls' dormitory.

I took a deep breath, heading out with a hammering heartbeat and clammy hands.

Calm vibes, Jones. It's just lunch with Kate; that's it.

I nodded, confident that the voice in my head would promote laid-back vibes. I'd never been more wrong.

HOLY FUCK, LUNCH WITH KATE.

I took a breath; arms crossed over my chest in an attempt to calm my erratic heartbeat. I rocked on my heels as I waited for Kate outside her dorm room, a couple of girls walking past me. A flash of purple caught my eye; Alyssa was walking right towards me. "Hi, Alyssa," I began with a smile.

Be cool, Theo.

Alyssa wiggled her eyebrows at me suggestively; with a hand on her hip, the other holding onto a novel as always, Alyssa said, "It's super sweet of you to be taking her out on a date, Theo."

"Thank you, Alyssa," I grinned, flattered that she was being nice to me.

Alyssa gave me a look, eyes narrowed. "You cut me off," she deadpanned. Alyssa took note of my now pale face, so she laughed, "I was kidding. Take care of her; otherwise, I'll kick you in the balls so hard, they'll go right through your esophagus and come out of your mouth."

"Is that even scientifically possible?" I squeaked, shoving both my hands in my pockets at this point.

Alyssa paused, thinking it over. "Luckily for you, it isn't; but if you do hurt her, I'll make sure of it."

I gulped, terrified of how protective Alyssa was of Kate.

Kate's dorm room opened, an adorable looking Kate stepping foot outside. "Hi," Kate smiled.

Praise the Lord above for the angel that was my crush.

"Hi," I breathed out, cheeks reddened at how, well, beautiful she looked, as always. She wore her usual blazer and golden crucifix, but underneath, she wore a white sundress, the little ruffles flowing beneath her waist. "You look beautiful," I told her, my cheeks aching from smiling so much.

Kate bit the corner of her lip, holding back another smile. Kate's hands held onto her purse, shutting the door as we made our way to the exit. As I held the door open for Kate, I looked back at Alyssa, her two pointer fingers aimed at her eyes, then mine. "I've got my eye on you," she mouthed. I swallowed hard, ready to shut the girls' dorm exit, but not before catching Dana and Max winking at me from their doors. I rolled my eyes, shutting the door behind me.

"Your cologne smells nice," Kate said with a laugh. I cleared my throat, trying to hide the blush on my neck and cheeks. "You're cute when you blush," she giggled, poking my cheek as we made our way to the parking lot.

I opened her door, pulling out the bouquet of tulips I'd bought in advance. "I hope this isn't too cliché of me, Kate," I stuttered.

"It's cute, so you shouldn't worry too much about it," she replied with a grin. "Besides, you're living proof that men with chivalry still exist in this world, so be glad."

"Why, thank you, m'lady," I said with a bow, shutting her door and heading for the driver's seat.

* * *

 ** _A/N: That's a wrap, folks!_**

 ** _Thanks for reading OASNAS_**!


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